Abstract

Aims Atherosclerosis can be viewed as a low grade inflammatory process, and genetic polymorphisms within cytokines are candidate risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. We examined the association of a common functional variant in the IL-6 gene with carotid intimal-medial wall thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaques in a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population.Methods B-mode carotid ultrasound was performed on 1109 subjects aged 27-77 years, who were genotyped for the IL-6 polymorphism (-174G>C) and assessed for conventional Cardiovascular risk factors.Results The frequency of the IL-6 -174C allele was 0.41. Initial univariate analysis showed no association of the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism with carotid IMT. Multivariate analysis however showed an association of the IL-6 -174C allele with increased IMT in subjects older than the median age of 53 years (P=0.005). Initial univariate analysis of the IL-6 -174 G>C polymorphism and carotid plaque showed no association in the whole sample. In multivariate analysis the - 174C allele was independently associated with an increased risk of carotid plaque in the whole sample (CC vs GG, OR=2.22, 95% CI=1.32 to 3.73, P=0.003).Conclusions This study shows that the IL-6 -174G>C variant is independently associated with carotid plaque formation in the whole population and an increased carotid IMT in older subjects within a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population. (C) 2003 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

title = "Association of an allelic variant of interleukin-6 with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in an Australian community population",

abstract = "Aims Atherosclerosis can be viewed as a low grade inflammatory process, and genetic polymorphisms within cytokines are candidate risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. We examined the association of a common functional variant in the IL-6 gene with carotid intimal-medial wall thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaques in a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population.Methods B-mode carotid ultrasound was performed on 1109 subjects aged 27-77 years, who were genotyped for the IL-6 polymorphism (-174G>C) and assessed for conventional Cardiovascular risk factors.Results The frequency of the IL-6 -174C allele was 0.41. Initial univariate analysis showed no association of the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism with carotid IMT. Multivariate analysis however showed an association of the IL-6 -174C allele with increased IMT in subjects older than the median age of 53 years (P=0.005). Initial univariate analysis of the IL-6 -174 G>C polymorphism and carotid plaque showed no association in the whole sample. In multivariate analysis the - 174C allele was independently associated with an increased risk of carotid plaque in the whole sample (CC vs GG, OR=2.22, 95{\%} CI=1.32 to 3.73, P=0.003).Conclusions This study shows that the IL-6 -174G>C variant is independently associated with carotid plaque formation in the whole population and an increased carotid IMT in older subjects within a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population. (C) 2003 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",

author = "C.M.L. Chapman and John Beilby and S.E. Humphries and Lyle Palmer and Peter Thompson and Joe Hung",

T1 - Association of an allelic variant of interleukin-6 with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in an Australian community population

AU - Chapman, C.M.L.

AU - Beilby, John

AU - Humphries, S.E.

AU - Palmer, Lyle

AU - Thompson, Peter

AU - Hung, Joe

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - Aims Atherosclerosis can be viewed as a low grade inflammatory process, and genetic polymorphisms within cytokines are candidate risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. We examined the association of a common functional variant in the IL-6 gene with carotid intimal-medial wall thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaques in a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population.Methods B-mode carotid ultrasound was performed on 1109 subjects aged 27-77 years, who were genotyped for the IL-6 polymorphism (-174G>C) and assessed for conventional Cardiovascular risk factors.Results The frequency of the IL-6 -174C allele was 0.41. Initial univariate analysis showed no association of the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism with carotid IMT. Multivariate analysis however showed an association of the IL-6 -174C allele with increased IMT in subjects older than the median age of 53 years (P=0.005). Initial univariate analysis of the IL-6 -174 G>C polymorphism and carotid plaque showed no association in the whole sample. In multivariate analysis the - 174C allele was independently associated with an increased risk of carotid plaque in the whole sample (CC vs GG, OR=2.22, 95% CI=1.32 to 3.73, P=0.003).Conclusions This study shows that the IL-6 -174G>C variant is independently associated with carotid plaque formation in the whole population and an increased carotid IMT in older subjects within a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population. (C) 2003 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - Aims Atherosclerosis can be viewed as a low grade inflammatory process, and genetic polymorphisms within cytokines are candidate risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. We examined the association of a common functional variant in the IL-6 gene with carotid intimal-medial wall thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaques in a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population.Methods B-mode carotid ultrasound was performed on 1109 subjects aged 27-77 years, who were genotyped for the IL-6 polymorphism (-174G>C) and assessed for conventional Cardiovascular risk factors.Results The frequency of the IL-6 -174C allele was 0.41. Initial univariate analysis showed no association of the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism with carotid IMT. Multivariate analysis however showed an association of the IL-6 -174C allele with increased IMT in subjects older than the median age of 53 years (P=0.005). Initial univariate analysis of the IL-6 -174 G>C polymorphism and carotid plaque showed no association in the whole sample. In multivariate analysis the - 174C allele was independently associated with an increased risk of carotid plaque in the whole sample (CC vs GG, OR=2.22, 95% CI=1.32 to 3.73, P=0.003).Conclusions This study shows that the IL-6 -174G>C variant is independently associated with carotid plaque formation in the whole population and an increased carotid IMT in older subjects within a randomly selected, cross-sectional Australian population. (C) 2003 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.